Watermelon Salad

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's book, Forever Summer

As Nigella points out, you can make this recipe as simple or as complicated as you like (though it's not complicated at all). If you're really pressed for time, you can just serve the chunked watermelon with a sprinkling of feta and mint and a squeeze of lime, but where's the fun in that? Also, the proportions can all be adjusted to your own taste, so this is more of a guide, really, than a strictly measured recipe that you need to follow.


Ingredients:

1/2 small red onion
2-4 limes, depending on how juicy they are
1 small seedless watermelon, or 1/2 of a larger watermelon
Feta cheese (the kind that comes in a big block, not the pre-crumbled kind)
Fresh mint sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pitted Kalamata Olives
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
Pine nuts (optional)


Instructions:

Peel the red onion and slice thinly, into half-moon shapes, and place in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of about 2 limes over the onions, and allow to steep as you make the rest of the salad (this diminishes their harshness, and the onions will become slightly more transparent.)

Chunk up the watermelon into large bite-sized pieces, (removing the rind in the process), and place into a large bowl. If you get a seeded watermelon, try to remove the seeds as well. Chop up the mint,( as much as you like, but at least 1/3 cupful,) and add to the bowl of watermelon pieces.

Tip the onions and lime juice over the salad, and add the olive oil and chopped Kalamata olives. Sprinkle with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and as much freshly crumbled feta as you please, and give it a gentle toss so that the watermelon doesn't break up. Taste for saltiness and lime, add more as you wish. Sprinkle with pine nuts if desired (or even toast them lightly and then sprinkle them on. Yum!)


This recipe is easily doubled or tripled for larger dinner parties or BBQs.... add as much mint, lime, salt, olives, and feta to your liking, just start with minimal amounts as it can get too salty so make sure to taste it along the way.